Vishnu Sahasranama Stotra 42 with Audio
from Anushasana Parva of Mahabharatha
Based on Poojya Bannanje Govidacharya's Discourse in Kannada

385) Vyavasāyo (ವ್ಯವಸಾಯಃ)

Agriculture means 'the embodiment of certain knowledge'. Apart from God, no one else possesses this certain knowledge. To precisely understand something, one must know the mathematics of the entire creation of the universe. The Lord, who knows everything definitively, is agriculture.

386) vyavasthānaḥ (ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥಾನಃ)

He who fills the microcosm and macrocosm in various forms. Different deities have different systems within these microcosms and macrocosms. Apart from the deities, every human being also has a regulatory system made by the Lord. He decides where each one should be born and what work they should do, and accordingly sends us to Earth. Such a Lord is called Vyavasthanah, a name that means 'the Arranger'.

387) Sthānado (ಸಂಸ್ಥಾನಃ)

He who assigns positions to each according to their qualifications.

388) saṃsthānaḥ (ಸ್ಥಾನದಃ)

He who is well-established in the hearts of the wise; existing among all deities, He is the Supreme Being who orchestrates the duties they are to perform.

389) dhruvaḥ (ಧ್ರುವಃ)

He who is constant. Only the Lord is eternal; none others are eternal. While the deities' duration lasts only for an eon, there is no beginning or end to the Lord's existence. The Lord, who sends the wise to the celestial realm of Dhruva, is Himself Dhruva.

390) pararddhiḥ (ಪರರ್ದ್ಧಿಃ)

In Sanskrit, 'riddhi' means prosperity or completeness. The Lord is the epitome of prosperity and it is infinite. He is the one who bestows prosperity (knowledge, goodness, wealth, virtue, etc.) upon us. Such a complete embodiment is the Lord Pararddhi.

391) paramaspaṣṭaḥ (ಪರಮಸ್ಪಷ್ಟಃ)

The Lord is clear and knows what is unknown to all. The wise eventually perceive the Lord clearly. The Lord is not like the objects we see externally; He has no fixed form and is like the sky. When He manifests, He appears distinctly, making all other visible objects seem indistinct. For those who have not seen Him, there is no resolution to their doubts until He becomes visible; for those who have seen, there is no doubt after seeing Him, so clearly does He appear. 'Knowing Him, one knows everything in the universe'—for one who knows the Lord, there are no more questions, as He clearly unveils the mysteries of the universe. Thus, to the wise, the Lord appears as Paramaspaṣṭaḥ, the supremely clear.

392) stuṣṭaḥ (ಸ್ತುಷ್ಟಃ)

The Lord is eternally satisfied. As humans, we never feel enough; if we do, it is only temporary. Desire never leaves us, but the Lord is always content in all circumstances. He is Sthuṣṭaḥ, an extraordinary being who desires nothing.

393) puṣṭaḥ (ಪುಷ್ಟಃ)

The Lord, filled with all qualities, is complete in every way. He is Puṣṭaḥ, the self-sufficient and wholly fulfilled.

394) śubhekṣaṇaḥ (ಶುಭೇಕ್ಷಣಃ)

'Shubhekshana' means someone with an auspicious gaze or vision. The Lord's gaze is one that can bestow great blessings. Whomever His auspicious gaze falls upon becomes a recipient of His grace. The Lord sees goodness everywhere and never perceives evil. For us ordinary people, birth is seen as auspicious and death as inauspicious, but for the Lord, both birth and death are just natural events. For instance, Krishna smiled as the Yadavas fought and died, because nothing is inauspicious to the Lord. As Vedavyasa says, 'Nothing that shouldn’t have happened has happened in this creation, nor will it happen.' We simply lack the understanding of why events occur. 'Shubha+Iksha+Na', where 'shubha' means the Lord, for there is nothing more auspicious than Him. 'Shubheksharu' are those who know and see the Lord. 'Na' means 'good', so 'Shubhekshana' is the one who grants the wise eternal bliss. Thus, the Lord, supporting the wise through His mere glance, fulfills all their pursuits as Shubhekshana.